Human Rights Report for Latvia

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 19:56:16 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Human Rights Report for Latvia

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Nils Muizhnieks <[email protected]>

Human Rights Report for Latvia
 

At a press conference on February 19, the Latvian Center for Human
Rights and Ethnic Studies, a non-governmental organization operating
in Latvia since 1993, launched its overview "Human Rights in Latvia in
1998."  The overview is prepared in Latvian, English and Russian and
examines trends in various speheres of human rights, including
conditions in prisons and detention facilities, the rights of the
mentally ill, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the
protection of minorities, and more.
 
The primary human rights concern in 1998 was conditions in closed
institutions: prisons, social care homes for the mentally ill and
police cells.  The overview highlights the seriousness of the
tuberculosis epidemic in the prison system. Among other problems cited
is the management crisis in the National Human Rights Office (an
ombudsman-like body) which paralyzed the Office's work in 1998 and led
to the emergence of a financial crisis that threatens the body's
future existence.  A new concern raised in the report is the emergence
of extremist groupings inciting racial hatred, such as the
ultranationalist newspaper "A Latvian in Latvia" and the activities of
Russian-oriented groups such as the followers of Barkashov.
 
The report also notes progress in 1998, including liberalization of
the Law on Citizenship as regards stateless children so that the law
is now in conformity with the provisions of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Another positive step was the addition of a Bill
of Rights to the Constitution. Moreover, noteworthy progress was made
on implementing refugee-related legislation.
 
In May 1998 the Latvian Center for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies
received the EU-UD DEmocracy and Civil Society Award.  In November,
the Center became an associate member of the International Helsinki
Federation for Human Rights.
 
Nils Muiznieks
Director, Latvian Center for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies
----------------------

(From the moderator: Nil, could you please let us know how the report
can be obtained? Unfortunately, the enclosed attachment arrived
unreadable, sorry... 
Boris)

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